Perth Glory 1-2 Canberra United
by Isabelle Campbell (29/3/25)
Above: Mary Stanic-Floody celebrates her goal, which put Canberra United 2-0 up from the penalty spot today. Photo: A-Leagues.
Perth Glory’s comeback effort fell just short as they were defeated 2-1 by Canberra United at Sam Kerr Football Centre.
Despite a second-half goal from Tijan McKenna, the hosts couldn’t find an equaliser, and Canberra ended their winless streak with an important victory between two sides looking to break into the top six.
Perth were looking to build on their recent strong form, and with the visitors enduring a tough six-match winless streak, the hosts were determined to take full advantage of their strong record on home soil. The Glory had extended their unbeaten run to three games following a 1-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers, and were eager to continue their momentum against a Canberra side struggling to find their momentum.
The Glory didn’t waste any time, with Kelli Brown firing the first shot of the match, a long-range attempt that was comfortably gathered by Canberra keeper Sally James. Perth’s Megan Wynne then won a free kick after being fouled. Captain Izzy Dalton stepped up, but her delivery failed to trouble James.
Canberra responded with a corner kick of their own, where Mary Stanic-Floody, known for her dangerous shots from distance, unleashed a strike that threatened but was cleared by Perth’s defence. Things then took a concerning turn when Glory’s Nat Tathem went down clutching her knee, forcing an early substitution that left the Western Australians without one of their strongest players of the season.
Perth continued to press and nearly found the breakthrough as the ball pinged around the goalmouth, but it was cleared to safety. However, it was Canberra who struck first. Stanic-Floody delivered a well-placed ball to the league’s all-time leading goal scorer, Michelle Heyman, who made no mistake in putting the ball past keeper Casey Dumont.
The visitors then doubled their advantage shortly after when Tijan McKenna fouled in the penalty area. Stanic-Floody stepped up for the spot-kick and, in her 50th A-League appearance, made it 2-0, sending Dumont the wrong way.
As the match settled into a quieter phase, both teams struggled to find any rhythm in attack. With just six minutes remaining in the half, Glory’s Georgia Cassidy won another free kick, but the opportunity came to nothing. Sarah O’Donoghue tried to line up McKenna, but James was equal to it once again, keeping her clean sheet intact. Grace Johnston then made a strong run down the right flank, only to see her shot narrowly miss the mark.
With no further chances, the whistle blew for half-time, and the players headed into the break to cool off, not just from the scorching Perth heat but also the intense emotions of the opening 45 minutes.
The second half set off in the same intense fashion, with Heyman going down in the box and being awarded a penalty. Bethany Gordon faced off against Dumont but sent the ball too high and missed the mark, much to the relief of the Perth crowd.
Perth’s luck finally turned in the 60th minute when Tijan McKenna fired a shot into the net, bringing the Glory back into the game and reigniting their hope of a chance at making the finals. Eyes were again on McKenna as she darted towards goal and laid it off for Brown, who was unable to keep her shot low enough to find the net.
Having only spent a short amount of time on the pitch, Susan Phonsongkham had an attempt at leveling the score, but couldn’t generate enough power on the ball to trouble James. At the other end, Canberra came close when Darcey Malone created a chance that rolled across the face of goal, but no one was there to tap it in.
Perth fans were left holding their breath once again when a ball delivered by Izzy Foletta found a purple shirt in the box, though the shot rebounded off the woodwork and was quickly cleared by Canberra’s defence.
Despite their best efforts, the home side couldn’t find an equalizer, and the match ended 2-1 in favour of Canberra. The victory provided them with a crucial boost in their own finals chase.
Perth now need to beat both Sydney FC away and Melbourne City at home on the final day to have any hope of making the top six – but after this defeat, the gap is now five points, which makes it almost impossible to make up.
Canberra United will now have another huge game in the finals race against a fellow top six hopeful next week when they play host to Wellington Phoenix.
Teams: PERTH GLORY (4-3-3): Dumont, Johnston, McKenna, Wynne, Cassidy, Tathem, Chinnama, O’Donoghue, Dalton, Zogg, Brown. Substitutes: Templeman, Foletta, Wainwright, Lincoln, Phonsongkham.
Goals: McKenna 60’.
CANBERRA UNITED (3-5-2): James, Ayson, Stanic-Floody, Robers, Taylor-Young, Christopherson, Keane, Heyman, Malone, Bertolissio, Gordon. Substitutes: McKenzie, Murray, Dos Santos, Markovski, Majstorovic.
Goals: Heyman 16’, Stanic-Floody (pen) 20′.
Referee: Molly Godsell.
Attendance: 896.
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